Spraying device

ABSTRACT

A spraying device ( 10 ) adapted for continuous spraying, the spraying device comprising: 
         spray container holding means (( 18 ) for holding a spray container ( 16 ); and    spray container activating means ( 52 ) for activating a spraying operation of a spray container ( 16 ) held within the spray container holding means ( 18 ); wherein    the spray container holding means ( 18 ) are formed in a first section ( 14 ) of the spraying device ( 10 ) and the spray container activating means ( 52 ) are formed in a second section ( 12 ) of the spraying device ( 10 );    the spraying device ( 10 ) further comprising locking means ( 24   a/b,    46 ) for locking the first and second sections ( 12,14 ) together to thereby hold the spray container activating means ( 52 ) in an activating configuration.

This invention relates to a spraying device adapted for continuous spraying and to a method of continuously spraying a material, in particular apparatus for spraying and a method of spraying a material, in particular odour neutralising agents, pest control agents, fabric refreshers, or fragrance materials and the like.

Existing spraying devices for continuous spraying are known as “bombs” or “foggers”. These devices spray the entire contents of an aerosol canister into a room. A user activates the spraying device, which may have a short delay before commencement of spraying, and leaves a room or enclosure into which the spraying device is being activated.

Disadvantages arise with this type of device in that some means of latching must be provided to activate spraying of material from the spraying device. The latching mechanism in prior art devices is prone to disengage before the entire contents of the spraying device have been discharged or an expensive latching mechanism is produced. Also, prior art spraying devices are prone to instability, which may cause them to fall over, potentially causing the contents of the spraying device to be sprayed onto an adjacent object, rather than into the surrounding air, as intended. In addition known foggers are ‘one-shot’ devices and are not refillable

It is an object of the present invention to address the above mentioned disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a spraying device adapted for continuous spraying, the spraying device comprising:

-   -   spray container holding means for holding a spray container; and     -   spray container activating means for activating a spraying         operation of the spray container held within the spray container         holding means; wherein     -   the spray container holding means are formed in a first section         of the spraying device and the spray container activating means         are formed in a second section of the spraying device;     -   the spraying device further comprising locking means for locking         the first and second sections together to thereby hold the spray         container activating means in an activating configuration.

The locking means preferably comprise interengaging elements, preferably interengaging projections. The interengaging elements are preferably wedge-shaped, the wedge shape preferably being provided to advantageously allow for progressive engagement. The locking means are preferably operable to lock the first and second sections together by pushing the two sections together. The locking means are preferably operable to lock the two sections together by means of axial pressure.

The interengaging elements are preferably interengaging elements of the first and second sections.

The interengaging element or elements of one of the first or second sections may be formed on at least one projection, preferably two projections. Said two projections preferably being located on opposite sides of the spray container holding means. The two projections preferably extend from the spray container holding means, preferably towards the second section.

The at least one projection preferably incorporates a strengthening rib, which preferably extends partially along the length of the projection, and preferably terminates before the interengaging element(s), preferably approximately 3 mm before the interengaging element.

The second section may incorporate spray container guiding means, which are preferably operable to guide a spray container to the spray container activating means. The spray container guiding means may be a sleeve, which may incorporate guiding ribs. Said ribs are preferably arranged to provide an interference fit with a spray container held in the spray container guiding means. The spray container guiding means are preferably within a body portion of the second section. The spray container guiding means are preferably inside outer wall of the second section.

The interengaging element(s) of the second section is/are preferably formed at or close to an end of the spray container guiding means. A plurality of interengaging elements is preferably provided, preferably formed on tabs, said tabs being formed by slits, which slits preferably extend passed the interengaging elements. Preferably, the slits extend approximately 3 mm passed the interengaging elements.

The tabs are preferably formed on an end section of the spray container guiding means. The tabs preferably form a ring, around an inside face of the ring, which the interengaging elements form a ring.

The tabs of the second section and the projections of the first section advantageously allow relative movement of the interengaging elements to ease engagement and/or disengagement thereof.

The spray container activating means and the spray container locking means are preferably located with respect to one another such that a spray container held in the spraying device is activated when the locking means are engaged.

The spray container holding means preferably incorporate supporting ribs, which are preferably adapted to provide an interference fit with a spray container held therein.

Openings may be provided in the first or second section to allow a user to grasp said section and facilitate separation of the first and second sections.

At least two, preferably four, raised elements may be provided around a periphery of the first section, said raised elements being adapted to deter relative movement of the first and second sections in a non-axial direction.

The spray container holding means are preferably located within a body section of the first section.

The first section is preferably a base section. The second section is preferably an upper section, which is preferably a cover section, preferably having an outlet in an upper section thereof.

The invention extends to a spraying device as described in the first aspect including a spray container.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of continuously spraying a material from a spray container comprising holding a spray container in spray container holding means in a first section of a spraying device and urging the first section and a second section of the spraying device together, to thereby cause locking means of the spraying device to engage and to cause spray container activation means of the second section to activate the spray container.

The spray container is preferably held within the spraying device. The spray container is preferably enclosed within the spraying device. The locking means, holding means and activating means are preferably located within external walls of the spraying device.

The invention extends to a spray container for use in the spraying device of the first aspect.

All of the features described herein may be combined within any of the above aspects, in any combination.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a line drawing from one side of a spraying device incorporating an aerosol spray, showing internal parts of the spraying device;

FIG. 2 is a view from above and to one side of an upper section of the spraying device showing internal detail thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a view from above and to one side of a base section of the spraying device, showing internal detail thereof.

A spraying device 10 incorporates an upper section 12 and a base section 14. In FIG. 1 the spraying device 10 is shown incorporating an aerosol canister 16.

The base section 14 comprises an internal cup 18 in which the aerosol container 16 is received. The cup has generally ring-shaped side walls having a diameter approximately 25 mm. The walls have a height of approximately 17 mm. Four ribs 20 a to 20 d are provided that extend up the side walls of the cup 18 and partly across a base of the cup 18 in a radial manner. The ribs 20 a-d are provided to give a secure placement to the aerosol canister 16 by means of an interference fit. The number of ribs 20 a-d is selected as four to provide a stable base, but three ribs or 5 or more could be used to provide a stable base also. Two vertical projections 22 a,b extend upwards from an upper edge of the cup 18. The vertical projections 22 a,b have a length of approximately 20 mm. Each vertical projection incorporates a wedge-shaped bead 24 a,b on an outer face thereof.

Each vertical projection 22 a,b incorporates a rib 26 a,b, each of which extends upwards from the base of the cup 18, up the centre of each of the vertical projections 22 a,b to a point approximately 6 mm below an upper edge of each of the vertical projections 22 a,b. The ribs 26 a,b have a depth of approximately 1 mm, as opposed to the depth of approximately 1.5 mm for the ribs 20 a-d.

Openings 28 are provided at opposite sides of the cup 18 in a bottom part of the base section 14. The openings 28 are provided to allow the possibility of a user grasping the base section 14 to allow its disengagement from the upper section 12, as will be described below. Also, the openings 28 are used during a moulding process for forming the horizontal lower face of the wedge-shaped beads 24 a, b.

The base section 14 has an outer wall consisting of a lower outer wall 30 a and an upper outer wall 30 b. The lower outer wall 30 a has an inward curvature towards a bottom of the base section 14, with its widest diameter of 70 mm at its junction with the upper outer wall 30 b, the latter having a height of approximately 9 mm and an outer diameter of approximately 66 mm.

The upper outer wall 30 b incorporates four pads 32 a-d at even spacings around an outer face of the upper outer wall 30 b. The pads 32 a-d have a depth of approximately 0.5 mm and have a chamfered upper edge to allow engagement with the upper section 12 as will be described below.

The upper section 12 of the spraying device 10 has a generally bell-shaped outer wall 34 with a slightly concave top surface 36, in the centre of which is an outlet opening 38 in the centre thereof. A sleeve 40 projects downwards from the concave top surface 36 through the interior of the upper section 12. The sleeve 40 is designed to engage with the vertical projections 22 a,b of the base section 14. The sleeve is generally cylindrical in shape.

At a lower end of the sleeve 40 twelve slits 42 form tabs 44. The slits 42 have a length of approximately 6.5 mm, which creates the length of the tabs 44. On an inner face of the tabs 44 there is a bead 46 that is continuous around the interior of the sleeve 40, except for the presence of the slits 42. The bead 46 is intended to engage with the wedge-shaped beads 24 a,b on the vertical projections 22 a,b of the base section 14. The presence of the slits 42 allows flexure of the tabs 44 to allow outward movement thereof during engagement with and release from the wedge-shaped beads 24 a,b of the base section 14, as described in more detail below.

At an upper interior face of the sleeve 40 there are provided four ribs 48 which project radially towards the centre of the sleeve 40. The ribs 48 provide a centralising guide for a boss section 51 of the aerosol canister 16. Lower ends of the ribs 48 are tapered slightly to allow easier guiding of the sleeve 40 over the aerosol canister 16 and to avoid engagement with a shoulder section 50 of the aerosol canister 16.

Beneath the opening 38 in the concave top surface 36 of the upper section 12 there is provided a collar 52 which extends downwardly into the interior of the upper section 12. The collar 52 has an internal shoulder 54 against which a stem 56 of the aerosol canister 16 is engaged to depress a spring valve in the aerosol canister in order to cause discharge of the contents of the aerosol canister 16 in the usual way. A lower edge 58 of the collar 52 has a chamfer in order to ease engagement of the stem 56 with the collar 52.

Strengthening ribs 60 are provided between the sleeve 40 and an inside of the bell-shaped outer wall 34 in order to provide greater stability and strength of the sleeve 40 with respect to the outer wall 34.

In use, a user places the aerosol canister 16 in the cup 18 of the base section. The user then places the upper section 12 onto the over the aerosol 16. The stem 56 of the aerosol canister 16 is guided into the collar 52, because of engagement of the boss section 51 of the aerosol canister with the ribs 48 of the upper section 12. When the boss 51 is guided between the ribs 48 and the stem 56 is engaged in the collar 52 the user can push the upper section 12 further onto the base section 14 to lock the two parts together and to cause activation of the aerosol canister 16 and so cause the contents of the aerosol canister to be discharged from the opening 38 in the upper section 12.

The upper section 12 is locked onto the base section 14 by means of engagement of the vertical projections 22 a,b of the base section 14 and the tabs 44 of the upper section 12. Each of these parts has a bead as discussed above and the two beads engage one another to lock the upper section 12 to the base section 14. The relative lengths of the vertical projections 22 a,b and the sleeve 40 with its tabs 44 at the base thereof is chosen to ensure that the aerosol canister 16 is activated when the upper section 12 is locked to the base section 14. The locking of the two together causes the entire contents of the aerosol canister to be discharged, because the aerosol canister has a continuous spray valve.

A user would typically leave a room in which the spraying device 10 has been placed during discharge of the spraying device.

When a user returns to the room, the spraying device 10 can be removed. In order to remove the spent aerosol canister 16 the user pulls the upper section 12 away from the base section 14, potentially by using the openings 28 in the base section 14. When the upper section 12 is parted from the base section 14 the aerosol canister 16 remains in the upper section 12, because that part has a stronger interference fit between the aerosol stem 56 and the internal collar 52 of the upper section 12, compared to the interference fit between the aerosol canister 16 and the base section 14. Consequently, the base of the aerosol canister 16 protrudes from the upper section 12, from which position it can easily be removed by a user for replacement by a full aerosol canister 16 for subsequent dispensing of material held within the aerosol canister 16.

The length of the slits 42 is a significant factor in relation to the strength of locking between the upper section 12 and the base section 14. If the slits are too short, making flexure of the tabs 44 less pronounced, then a user will have much greater difficulty in pushing the upper section 12 down onto the base section 14 to create a lock between the two parts. Also, there will be much greater resistance to separation of the two parts after the aerosol canister 16 has been discharged. However, if the slits 42 are too long (meaning greater flexure of the tabs 44) then there will be insufficient locking action between the upper section 12 and the base section 14, such that the force of the spring valve in the stem 56 of the aerosol canister 16 will push the upper section 12 away from the base section 14. This will result in the aerosol canister 16 ceasing dispensing. Consequently, the amount of flexure in the tabs 44 is particularly significant to the proper working of the spraying device 10. Thus, the length of the slits of 7 mm, bearing in mind the flexibility of plastic materials typically used for such a device, is found to be particularly beneficial. In addition, the bead 46 is spaced approximately 3 mm from the end of the slits 42. The bead must be on the tabs 44, to allow flexure thereof.

In addition to the flexure of the tabs 44 in relation to the engagement of the upper section 12 with the base section 14, the vertical projections 22 a,b also flex at their top ends close to the wedge-shaped beads 24 a,b. This flexure is caused by the ribs 26 a and 26 b extending only part way up the vertical projections 22 a,b. The beads 24 a,b bear against the aerosol canister 16 held in the cup 18. Thus, where the bead ceases the vertical projections 22 a,b are free to flex towards the aerosol canister 16. This flexure allows greater movement of the wedge-shaped beads 24 a,b towards the aerosol canister to allow engagement of the wedge-shaped bead 24 a,b with the bead 46 incorporated into the tabs 44 of the upper section.

A delaying device to delay issue of material from the aerosol canister may be provided. Said delaying device may be in the form of a blockage in the stem 56, which blockage is cleared by pressure from the contents of the canister 16.

In view of the above, there is provided means of flexure of the tabs 44 and the vertical projections 22 a,b to allow engagement of the upper section with the base section in a manner that is both sustainable against the spring pressure of the stem 56 of the aerosol canister 16 and also allows for easy separation of the upper section 12 from the base section 14 after material has been dispensed from the aerosol canister 16. In relation to the vertical projections 22 a,b it has been found that the ribs 26 a,b should terminate before the base of the wedge-shaped bead 24 a,b. In the example described, the gap between the top of the ribs 26 a,b and the base of the wedge-shaped bead 24 a,b is approximately 3 mm.

The design described herein is advantageous in that the aerosol canister 16 is held in a vertical orientation by use of the four ribs 20 a-20 d in the base section 14.

Further support for the aerosol canister in a vertical orientation is provided by the ribs 26 a,b.

Further advantages are derived from the use of the four ribs 48 in the sleeve 40 of the upper section 12, which ribs allow proper engagement of the aerosol canister 16 with the upper section 12, in particular they allow the stem 56 of the aerosol canister 16 to engage the collar 52.

Furthermore, as described above, flexure of the beads 24 a,b and 46 of the upper section 12 and base section 14 respectively is particularly significant for ease of use of the spraying device 10. Flexure is needed to allow for the beads to pass one another as the two parts are engaged or disengaged. The advantage that follows from the above is that the device can easily be used with replacement aerosol canisters when a first canister has been discharged.

Still further advantages are derived from the four pads 32 a-d around the perimeter of the upper outer wall 30 b of the base section 14, which pads prevent tilting of the upper section 12 relative to the base section 14 during engagement of the upper section 12 and the base section 14. Tilting is advantageously prevented, which tilting may otherwise cause flexure or even breakage of the stem 56 of the aerosol canister 56 and so prevent the materials in the aerosol from being dispensed partially or fully.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. 

1. A spraying device adapted for continuous spraying, the spraying device comprising: a spray container holding means for holding a spray container; and a spray container activating means for activating a spraying operation of the spray container held within the spray container holding means; wherein the spray container holding means are formed in a first section of the spraying device and the spray container activating means are formed in a second section of the spraying device; the spraying device further comprising locking means for locking the first and second sections together to thereby hold the spray container activating means in an activating configuration; wherein the spraying device is adapted to enclose a spray container held in the spray container holding means
 2. A spraying device adapted for continuous spraying, the spraying device comprising: a spray container holding means for holding a spray container; and a spray container activating means for activating a spraying operation of a spray container held within the spray container holding means; wherein the spray container holding means are formed in a first section of the spraying device and the spray container activating means are formed in a second section of the spraying device; the spraying device further comprising locking means for locking the first and second sections together to thereby hold the spray container activating means in an activating configuration; wherein the spraying container holding means are adapted to hold a lower part of the spray container.
 3. A spraying device according to claim 1, in which the locking means comprise wedge-shaped interengaging elements.
 4. A spraying device according to claim 3, in which the interengaging elements of one of the first or second sections are formed on two projections.
 5. A spraying device according to claim 4, in which the two projections are located on opposite sides of the spray container holding means.
 6. A spraying device as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, in which the two projections extend from the spray container holding means towards the second section.
 7. A spraying device according to claim 4, in which the two projections incorporate a strengthening rib, which extends partially along the length of each projection, and terminates before the interengaging element(s).
 8. A spraying device according to claim 1, in which the second section incorporates spray container guiding means operable to guide a spray container to the spray container activating means.
 9. A spraying device according to claim 8, in which the spray container guiding means are a sleeve.
 10. A spraying device according to claim 9, in which the sleeve incorporates guiding ribs arranged to provide an interference fit with a spray container held in the spray container guiding means.
 11. A spraying device according to claim 3, in which the interengaging element(s) of the second section are formed at or close to an end of the spray container guiding means.
 12. A spraying device according to claim 11, in which the interengaging elements are formed on tabs having slits there between, which slits extend passed the interengaging elements.
 13. A spraying device according to claim 12, in which the tabs form a ring, around an inside face of which ring the interengaging elements are formed.
 14. A spraying device according to claim 1, in which the spray container activating means and the spray container locking means are located with respect to one another such that a spray container held in the spraying device is activated when the locking means are engaged.
 15. A spraying device according to claim 1, in which at least two raised elements are provided around a periphery of the first section, said raised elements being adapted to deter relative movement of the first and second sections in a non-axial direction.
 16. A spraying device according to claim 1 which further includes a spray container.
 17. A method of continuously spraying a material from a spray container comprising holding a spray container in spray container holding means in a first section of a spraying device and urging the first section and a second section of the spraying device together, to thereby cause locking means of the spraying device to engage and to cause spray container activation means of the second section to activate the spray container.
 18. A method according to claim 17, in which the locking means, holding means and activating means are located within external walls of the spraying device.
 19. A spray container adapted for use in the spraying device according to claim
 1. 20. (canceled)
 21. A spraying device according to claim 2 in which the locking means comprise wedge-shaped interengaging elements. 